Out of chaos, came clarity. And wine.

Steel is forged in fire. Diamonds come from geologic pressure. And the best wines come from vines that struggle and thirst. For Matt and Nancy Vuylsteke, the name “51 Weeks” represents a period in their lives where they faced chaos, tragedy, and loss – bookended by the wonder of the birth of their “Irish twins”, just 51 weeks apart.

As Nancy says, “It was from this utter chaos that our priorities became crystal clear. What nearly killed us became a catalyst. ... After a jarring, life altering period of exactly 51 weeks, everything in our world changed. Out of the chaos, came clarity. And wine.” After years of working in wineries – as a cellar rat, winemaker, and winery management consultant – Matt is the chief winemaker. And Nancy is the chief “of everything else”. 51 Weeks represents their commitment to a deeply personal and family-focused approach to winemaking.

All of that work has paid off! Matt was recruited to build his dream winery – with every bell and whistle he could imagine – and even some new patent-pending winemaking technology. The new home of 51 Weeks wines, Amaterra Winery in Portland’s West Hills is a gorgeous new addition to the Portland urban winery scene.